Dollars to Soweto

I think an entrepreneur is born ,not made however training is just as important.The attitude of the entrepreneur plays a big role , like for me when I started my business, I started with Passion and burning desire to succeed in the business. I gave it 100% attention from the minute I started throughthe highs and lows .Some people have the know how, but struggle with funding while others have the funding but need training on basic principles of business even though they maybe naturaly born entrepeneurs.In my story, you will see from my mistakes that though I am a born entrepreneur, I still made mistakes, I needed to understand cashfow, how to increase your asset base, reduce your debts and minimize or settle your liabilities and maximize your profitability.I needed to learn about control systems , importance of marketing , trade marking , competition, focus, preparing for winter or hard times and how to bounce back when you have fallen.Further more, though talent is important, you will see from my mistakes, how important it is to understand and learn the laws and regulation of labour relations and how important they are for your business so that you can utilize, develop , motivate ,organize , lead and control your workforce to help reach the objectives of your business within the laws that govern us. You will understand whybusinessrequires research to make sure your business hasproper projections so that your mission, vision and objectives are realistic and achievable and worth investing in it with minimum risks. You will see that failers are for you to learn and to be wiser and smarter and that failers are not here to hurt you but rather to provide more opportunities.If you are a true entrepreneur, a need for survival,a desire to be successful and the realization that the rewards of being self- employed are worth every pain and risk, and this should drives you. Approaching those who are already in business for advice, should be the base for your research and the swot analysis to understand the industry you want to go into are a key factor to the success of your business. For me, I knew when I started the business the high and lows of my business because I have been in the industry with over 20 years experience, always check your strength ,weakness ,opportunities, threats , when you open the business.You will see and learn that starting too many businesses is not necessarily the best investment but rather focus and grow steadily and not too fast so that you don’t crush like I did. .You will see that when things go wrong in your business or when your business is hit either by recetion, competition or need change, you might panic and make hasty decision in trying to save your business or yourself and try to solve the problem by opening another business .The rule is not to give up there is nothing called smooth sailing in business when you are doing well know that winter will come .I never knew that winter will come knocking on my door, one day it caught me flat footed like a thieve in the night When winter came I ran away and opted for starting another business, that I did not know anything about instead of concentrating and focusing on the same business that made me .I ended up losing more and shifting my energy to a business I have no clue and no passion.You must never lose focus no matter what happens, stay true to your business and remember never wait until you have problems, re inventyour self always ,strive to be better than your competitor know what they are doing but have your own plan and not theirs .You will make mistakes in business, but it is how you come out of that problem when you solve it .I feel if I had I not made the mistakes, I would not be where I am, my business would have been not stronger than what it is .Also remember when you are in business marketing is never an option , it’s a must .I aggressively marketed my business and as soon as I made money I stared to relax and bang the competitors caught up with me, never let that happen to you, it’s a disaster going through something like that, always remember that what ever business you are doing there are people out there who want to copy it .Make sure you paitent your business,and remember! there are no shortcuts my dear friend ,no easy business and all businesses have challenges, be it small or big .In your early days of your business avoid to create depth it will cripple your business even when you make money avoid putting your self on unessessary depths .When I was making a lot of money in my business ,It was always hard to rely on trust from your employees, rather have systems which will do checks and balances for you and minimize theft .Remember you are not friends with your employees but neither should you be unfair to them, whats gets measured gets done and where there are rights, there are also abligations .In all fairness being an entrepreneur is the best thing that you could ever be and with determination ,focus and patient you can do anything you put your mind to .GOOD luck and enjoy my book it will surely open your eyes .